I will be attending Col. Dave Grossmans lecture “The Bulletproof Mind: Mental Preparation for Combat” tomorrow. I will be posting my evaluation of it here shortly thereafter.
January 14, 2009
The Bulletproof Mind
Posted by tgace under Law Enforcement Blogs, Tom, work | Tags: Law Enforcement Blogs, mindset, work |[3] Comments
January 14, 2009 at 6:00 am
I’ll be interested in your take on LTC(R) Grossman’s presentation. Couple of things I noticed when I saw him, that I’d like your perspective on (if you’ve got the time or inclination):
-Note Grossman’s use of the term “case study.” I’m thinking from a social sciences point of view, he more means “vignette.” The difference is distinct.
-Note Grossman’s use of the term “stress inoculation.” Stress inoculation is a highly complex phenomenon that I think he confuses with the similar but lesser training objective of “environmental familiarization.”
I’ve got some issues with Grossman’s findings. My suspicion, when I read his books and saw him present in person, was that he started with his preconceived notions, and then used his research to support them, rather than using it to confirm/deny his theories. Some of his supposed “cold, hard facts” about combat were in direct contravention to my own experience and that of my peers. That’s not a substantive argument against his theories, as it counts as anecdotal; still, it raised alarm flags. Could also be differences in military and law enforcement definitions of and experiences in “combat.” It was like going to a martial arts class taught by a brand new, very proud black belt. ” ‘Combat,’ I do not think this word means what you think it means.”
Anyway, I’ll be interested on your take.
January 14, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Lucky!
January 15, 2009 at 12:01 am
” ‘Combat,’ I do not think this word means what you think it means.”
I laughed when I read that because my buddy Paul and I said the EXACT SAME THING, as we were talking about LTC Grossman. While his military record is unquestionable, I have noted a lack of any mention of combat experience. That turned into a tangential conversation about the necessity of experience when talking about or training martial topics. a la some of the comments/conversation on the “is experience a necessity?” post.